A Strike of Insomnia

It's late.
Too late, in fact, for me to
Even be here.

But I can't sleep.

I've listened countless times
To the toilet flushing just a
Few feet of plaster from my
head.

I can hear the dog impatiently
Sniffering
Its little collar bell chiming
Ceaselessly
As it paces the hall outside
My door.

Still can't sleep.
Won't sleep.
Can't sleep.

Manifesto

I wish I was a tree!

I wish I could spend
my days standing absolutely
still
and silent
Among all my thoughtful
Tree friends.

I want to be beautiful
in the spring
and summer, blossoming as
a human girl never
could.

Oh, to spend hundreds
of years just
standing tall
proud and wise and green
And giving
shelter
to all the squirrels and birds
and kittens.

Silent Standing Man

Tall figure
Dapper in a violet suit
Kiss-kiss lips set in a serious
expression

Country-boy hands, callused
Now diamond-adorned and
hanging limp at your sides
Blue eyes unblinking
All-seeing

December

Christmas, sure
And hopefully snow
Time to anticipate
And laugh.

It's cold outside
The ground is frozen
But we've a fire in the hearth
To keep us warm.

I love the winter
Like most love the summer
I love the clean-slateness
of it all.

Obviously

Okay, so it might be kinda
obvious
And I might stare just a little too
much
I might just be laughing a little too
hard
At your jokes.

Who am I kidding?
You've gotta know.
I mean, you've never been a
genius
(thank god)
but you're not totally
brain-dead
either.

Limits

My name is
and I'm

Clump, clump, clump

I had an old wrecked vehicle
Kaleb said he'd help me fix up some time

Sweating in my seat, every inch of me shaking

I knew how to cover my tracks (ha ha)

Again and again, more and more the words starting to mean something

You know what I wish? This second? I wish I was high!

And this last time, all of us already crying too hard to speak

I'll stick with it, man. One more week......for you.

And when it's finally over, really over, it doesn't feel like the end

Kaleb is dead. Overdose.

The words I've spoken so many times aren't just something I say
anymore. How long will it take to finally be over? For real?

We never got around to it. And now we never will.

Guidance

Allah
Krishna
Yahweh
God
Whatever your name, I need some help down here.

I've
never
been
one
to pray much outside of church and at suppertime.

But
it
looks
as
if that might change, considering the circumstances.

so
forgive
me
if
the prayers aren't too practiced, and if I stutter.

But
you
made
me
so you probably know me better than even I ever could.

I
only
ask
that
you know me well enough to help me get through these days.

I
need
something
real
to outshine the hate, the tears, and the feelings of self-doubt.

Total Stranger

I don't know you
And it's probable
That we'll never lay eyes on eachother again.
But of course, that would imply that you saw me
And as far as I know
You were totally unaware
That I was watching.

I wondered about you
With your peacoat and jeans
Gel-spiked hair and ever-present Blackberry
In hand.
Did you love the girl you were sitting with,
Did you even notice her presence, or were
You simply worried she might scuff your
Italian shoes
If her foot happened to meet yours under
the table where you sat not eating?